Almost 17,000 people died last year as a result of cold housing conditions, figures from the charity National Energy Action (NEA) and climate change thinktank E3G reveal.
The figure is almost double that of the previous year.
In the 2017/18 winter there were 56,300 “excess winter deaths” in the UK, the highest number since 1976. Of these 16,890 were attributable to cold homes.
The report claims that the health impacts of cold homes, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, falls and injuries and mental ill health, is costing the NHS an estimated £1.36 billion each year.
Pedro Guertler, energy efficiency programme leader at E3G, said: “The UK has one of the worst records on cold homes-related deaths in Europe.
“This epidemic is entirely preventable and E3G and NEA are calling on the UK government in its upcoming spending review to reinstate public capital investment in home energy efficiency to fix the cold homes crisis.
“The fact that UK homes are amongst the least energy efficient in Western Europe confirms that ill health effects and deaths attributed to cold housing are entirely preventable.
“However, the Committee on Climate Change reports that the rate at which homes are being insulated has collapsed by 95 per cent since 2012.
“At the same time, energy price rises will make it harder for many people, especially those on fixed incomes, to keep their homes adequately warm.”
Adam Scorer, chief executive of NEA, said: “Everybody has the right to live in a warm and safe home but tragically, many people died needlessly last winter because of cold homes.
“Living in a cold damp home can also lead to extremely poor health, especially in those who are vulnerable such as young children, older people, and those with long term sickness and disabilities.
“With fuel bills set to rise again, without urgent local and national action we are worried the same will keep happening each winter.”
In response to the findings by the NEA and E3G, a government spokesperson said: “Everyone should be protected against the cold in their own home and tackling fuel poverty is a top priority for this government.
“To protect the most vulnerable we’re giving millions money off their winter energy bills and protecting them from rip-off deals, giving extra money to pensioners through the winter and upgrading the homes of the most vulnerable.
“In December, the government launched its new Energy Company Obligation scheme—focused solely on upgrading the homes of lower income and vulnerable households.
“It’s part of our commitment to drive £6 billion into upgrading the energy efficiency of our poorest homes.”
The latest government statistics show that there were 786,000 fewer E, F or G rated fuel poor homes in 2016 compared to 2010.
Last November the annual report of the Committee on Fuel Poverty said overall progress on tackling the problem is “stalling”.
As a result, the government was urged to target energy bill subsidies for low income and pensioner customers much more tightly on fuel poor households.
Scorer previously described the spike in winter deaths as “predictable, preventable and shameful.”
He said: “We seem to have accepted excess winter deaths to be as much a part of winter as darker evenings.”